This Time
by eine.hexe
Summary: Tired of hurting, Elena decides to fight for what's hers. But what if Stefan is too stubborn to let her win? Set after S03E14
1. This Time

**This Time**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries and I certainly don't own the characters from it.<em>

* * *

><p>It had taken four nights and a lot of courage for her to even begin to hope. Of course, the strong brandy she wasn't normally used to <em>had<em> helped a little. The night she'd hurt Damon more than she'd ever meant to had also been the night she'd seen the first flicker of light in a long time. Stefan had fallen apart at the seams for a moment, allowing her to have a glimpse of what he was dealing with. All the pain, the anger – directed entirely at himself – was leading him to self-destruction.

This was why she had to do this. No matter how much it took to bring him back, she had to find her Stefan in that body he'd trained to act detached.

Calling the only person she knew could help her, Elena waited patiently.

* * *

><p>"I saw him. It was him, the <em>real<em> him. I saw his weakness, Bonnie. Stefan is still in there, and he still loves me." Her eyes filled with tears and for a moment she felt bad for asking her friend to bring back her love when _she_ had taken away _hers_. "Will you... will you help me?"

"Elena," Bonnie said with a sigh, sitting down on the couch next to her and drawing her into a bone-crushing hug. "You don't owe me anything because of Jeremy. I made my own decision of letting him go and it was the right one. That doesn't mean you have to be miserable, too, so we'd match." Petting the doppelgänger's hair, the witch kissed her forehead. "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

><p>It was late and he wondered what she wanted this time. It probably had to do with some sort of act of rebellion she was planning, or with his brother.<p>

Desperately swallowing back his rising bitterness, he kept his cool and looked at her back as he walked towards her, his eyes unable to help relishing the sight of her slender body. There were too many memories that he had to suppress, too many nights behind closed doors, under smooth sheets that he had to ignore.

Turning around, Elena revealed tearful eyes, mascara running down her cheeks like mud on a rainy day.

Like a punch to his stomach, his first instinct was to comfort her, but he smothered it.

_That's Damon's job now._

"I'm glad you came," she said softly, the words hanging between them awkwardly as she took in the sight of him in a tux.

"Well," he replied in what he hoped sounded uncaring as he put his hands in his slack pockets. "What did you call me here for? Damon do something?"

Pursing her lips, Elena shook her head. "I just needed to talk to you. There's something you need to know." Eyeing him up and down, she bit her lip for a second. "Were you going somewhere?"

"A party," he answered and she almost recoiled at the thought. He was likely going to feed on some girl and... do things with her. Things he would have otherwise done with _her_.

"Oh..."

"I'm meeting Klaus, Elena," he rectified, sounding tired.

Immediately, her heart started racing, fearful for him.

"Kla-"

"These are times of peace, remember? No more killing each other until _his mother_ kills _him_. Then we're even." Walking until he was face to face with her – not because he needed to be close to her, but to seem more imposing, he told himself – he mocked, "But it's nice to see you care."

Frowning suddenly, with a look of annoyance on her face, she acted quickly and not on impulse, in the way she'd practiced for hours.

Within seconds, the vampire found himself back against the wall of her house, his head buzzing with confusion and anger. Going on sheer instinct, he moved to scare her, but he found himself drawn back to the wall as if he was glued to it.

"What did you do? Elena," he warned, his eyes becoming blood-red and his face scrunching with the rage of the Ripper, "_What_ did you do?"

Trapping him between herself and the wall, her answer was simple.

"I had Bonnie cast a spell. You're not getting away until I tell you to."

"What the Hell? Elena – "

"No, you don't get to demand anything of me, Stefan. I'm done trying to forget you, I'm done searching for what you gave me in other places. I'm done ignoring myself and my emotions just because _you _are afraid. I'm just _done_, Stefan."

Her face came closer to his and his eyes moistened, looking away.

"Elena, please don't do this..."

It was funny, how he suddenly couldn't find the strength to speak, words catching in his throat.

"Look at me, Stefan." When he didn't, she turned his face with her hands. "Look at me," she repeated, though he knew she meant it differently than before. "I _love_ you."

His whimper and the reflex to look away, his face still in her hands, told her all she needed to know.

He felt the same.

"I love you, Stefan, even after all you did to me. I can't help loving you. Hey. Listen to me."

The vampire grunted and closed his eyes, his mouth opening to exhale so he could stop a sob before it surfaced.

"You are not this person. You are _not_ this Stefan who doesn't care and acts distant. I know you, and this isn't you. You're stronger than this – I know, because I used to draw strength from you. You were my pillar, Stefan, remember?"

Her hands slipped from his face and she looked so fragile, so... forlorn. He hadn't meant to make her so vulnerable.

"How am I supposed to stand straight without you?"

His entire Universe was crushed for the nth time when he saw the tears gathering in her eyes. He'd seen her cry so many times he'd lost count, but somehow, knowing he'd done this to her, that _he_ had rendered her so weak, was worse than the deepest thirst for blood.

"Don't cry, Elena, I..."

"Stefan, I'm not asking you to let yourself love me again, I'm just asking you, _begging_ you to _care_. You did it once, after being the Ripper for so long, you can do it again. Lexi helped you then – let _me_ help you now."

Compassion seeping into her eyes, she caressed his parted lips with her thumb, feeling victorious when his eyes closed on their own under the pressure of so many feelings. So damn many memories.

"Let me be there for you, Stefan."

Before he could answer, she stood on her toes and let her eyes flutter closed as her lips touched his, a string of electricity running through their bodies.

Another whimper left him and she was glad to hear it, she'd missed it so much. She'd missed _him_ so much.

Unbidden memories of her last kiss came to her mind, but she pushed Damon out of her thoughts so that she could feel this properly. It was Stefan that she wanted in the long run, it was _Stefan_ she felt that connection with. What she had with Damon was confusing and exhilarating sometimes, but not like this. Never this... consuming.

Moaning into the kiss, Elena opened her mouth wider, inviting his tongue within to ransack and plunder, conquest and take, atone and cherish.

It was like coming home, and they both felt it.

* * *

><p><em>First TVD fic, hope you enjoyed it.<br>It's set after season 3, episode 14. Will have one more chapter, perhaps two._

_much love,  
>einehexe<br>_


	2. He knows

**This Time**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries and I certainly don't own the characters from it.<em>

* * *

><p>The kiss ended and Elena stared up at the vampire she'd come to love more than she'd ever meant to, taking in his parted lips, closed eyes and the obvious pain etched on his face. It made something shrink and twist inside her chest, something she didn't want to name.<p>

He wasn't even completely opening up and he was hurting already.

"No, Elena," he said softly, defeated, his voice raspy as he bowed his head for a just second before raising it to look into her eyes. Not for the first time, those glassy orbs looked moist and swarming with raw ache.

"I can't just... I can't do this again." It was worse experiencing the same pain and guilt of a maybe higher intensity after already having dealt with it once before. The first time Lexi had been there to guide his blind steps they'd learned together, but now he _knew_ what to expect. Now he knew the dark nights that lay ahead, should he choose to _feel_ again.

The answer was clear - staying like this meant he'd stay strong, it meant he could still protect her. Even if Damon got to have her, she'd be safe. But with him caring again, they would both only _suffer_. He knew that.

"It's not that simple," he concluded.

"Remember your life after Lexi saved you? It was _the_ _best_ _time_ you had since before becoming a Ripper, admit it." She nodded, reminiscing his earlier words and throwing them back at him, "Is _is_ that simple, Stefan."

Looking away, he found he hated to think about that time. But she _was_ right. Some time after dealing with the pain, with the insufferable guilt, he'd found _her_ and his life had changed forever.

"I should tempt you," she said suddenly, making him frown. "I should cut my wrist and make you drink my blood then let you feel miserable about it. Maybe then you'd snap and _do something_ out of pure _emotion_."

Immediately, his lips peeled back to show pointy fangs, his eyes blazing red – both signs that the visuals of her words affected him almost as much as actually drinking her blood would, and she knew it, too. In fact, she'd counted on it.

"What are you going to do, Stefan?"

"Nothing," he said through gritted teeth, struggling to keep the overpowering scent of her blood out of his system, now that he was aware of it. It wasn't working and he found himself thrashing against his restraint. "Let me off, Elena."

When all she did was come even closer, he panicked.

"Dammit, Elena! Let me off. Let me off now, or you're gonna regret it."

"How am I going to regret it, Stefan? Nothing can be worse than having to watch you act like you don't care when I've seen the way you look at me."

With a sigh, she placed her hand on the bricks next to his head. In mere seconds he felt the pull of magic dissipating and he would have fled, had that not meant pushing Elena off and maybe accidentally throwing her to the ground in the process.

Grabbing one of her wrists and pulling her towards him, Stefan mustered up all his arrogance in one look, hoping to convey a thousand words.

_I'm sorry, Elena._

_I can't feel again._

_You don't deserve this._

_I hate myself for being this person, but I'm doing this for both of us._

_I'm sorry._

"If you think pinning me to a wall and kissing me will make me love you again... shows how ignorant you are. I _can't_ love you Elena. You should know that by now."

Turning away from him as she pulled her hand abruptly, she reined in the sobs she knew were coming and controlled her tone diligently.

"I get it, Stefan. You've become a coward. I guess it took me too long to realize it."

Not rising to the bait, the vampire disappeared into the night instead, leaving behind nothing but a gust of air and a broken heart.

* * *

><p>The first to notice the signs was, as always, Niklaus. It took him about two weeks to feel it, but there was something definitely magical tugging at his powers, making him feel edgy and <em>tingly<em>.

Paranoid as always, but with a right to be, he'd started _paying attention_.

Those Salvatore fools couldn't be it – their witch was surely smarter than to try to kill him when the whole family of Originals was thriving, and Elijah's witches – the Martins – were all dead, so that only left one person he could think of. And as much as he wanted to believe in his mother's words of peace and reunion, there was something suspicious about her effort to bring the whole family together again.

It began with small things, like how he could never hear her when she was in her room, especially when Finn joined, and if that wasn't odd enough, her longing stares at Elijah truly made him ponder.

The same question that had haunted him ever since her return came back with a vengeance:

_What if our dear mother isn't here to reunite our family at all?_

And after asking the question aloud, he found it made perfect sense. She had created them, a bunch of monsters in humans' and witches' eyes, and she'd had a thousand years to regret her mistake, so what if she'd only come back to _kill_ them?

Snarling, he was about to summon a couple girls and let them receive the brunt of his anger so he'd clear his head, when a hand drawn picture caught his eye, Caroline's contemplative gaze staring him down.

All right. He'd refrain from killing, but just this once. He had a better plan, anyway. And even if Caroline was likely to never forgive him, at least it might keep him alive.

Then again, if he was wrong and his mother really _wasn't_ trying to kill them, then he would have just disgraced the family once more. Like that was something new...

* * *

><p>Damon wasn't answering her calls and she didn't dare go to his house.<p>

_Stefan's there._

It was harder on her than ever before, Stefan's rejection. Bonnie didn't get it; Caroline didn't, either. They thought she was okay, thought she was at least happy for trying, but no – it hurt _worse_. It cut far deeper into her skin than she'd ever imagined it would.

At this point all she wanted was for Esther to hurry up and kill her children so she could have some semblance of peace in her life. Maybe she'd go somewhere, do something – find her brother and stay with him for a while, perhaps.

The way things were now, Mystic Falls was suffocating her.

Her thoughts consumed her day after day and she zoned out most of the time, so she definitely didn't notice the grim figure sneaking in through her window.

"Surprise, surprise, my dear," a familiar, deceivingly charming voice snapped her out of her daze, making her flinch.

"Klaus," she said, as if accusing him. And in a way, she was. This man – hybrid – had, after all, ruined her life. "What are you doing here? Esther made it clear that you would leave us alone."

"She did – my mother – didn't she? But you see, my precious little blood bank, a... birdy told me something."

At her gasp, he started circling her like a hawk examining its pray.

"This little birdy is called 'strong hybrid intuition', and so far, it has never failed me. And so you can see my dilemma, Elena. Should I trust my mother's words blindly, or should I investigate whether she's telling the truth _or_... she's planning something else."

Stopping in front of her to observe her wide eyes and the racing pulse in her veins, the first and oldest hybrid smirked.

"I can't take any chances, and as far as I know, your two lovers would do anything to save you, anything I _tell_ them to. Besides, a powerful little witch like your friend, Bonnie, wouldn't hurt when dealing with my mother. It's the only way I can think of to save my arse," he joked, as though doing so would appease her, or better – make her come willingly.

Elena was stunned silent, not because he intimidated her, but because he'd figured it out on his own, when not even Elijah had been able to.

What struck her as odd was that he hadn't told his siblings about his suspicions before carrying out with this suicidal plan.

_He really doesn't trust them. He doesn't trust anyone in his family. But he... he trusts Stefan and Damon to save me enough that he'd risk it all._

Then came another pressing thought:

_Damon hates me and Stefan is avoiding me... Oh, God._

For a while, she hoped neither would come for her, though she knew both would.

* * *

><p>He wondered what was wrong with him.<p>

The first time had been about letting out his pent-up frustrations. The second time – he'd chalked it up to... well, raging emotions. But now? What excuse did he have now?

Damon pushed the thoughts out of his head as the blond Original trailed her lips against his temple, nipping the skin slightly.

Here he was, naked with her again.

This wasn't the beginning of some romance – not by far, but Rebekah made him forget and lose himself in a way he couldn't with a human. Elena and Stefan's low blow had hit deep, leaving him breathless and raw and suffering.

Obviously, Rebekah had some troubles of her own, but it wasn't like he cared.

_To hell with everyone. I can screw whomever I want._

Just as he was about to push the woman all the way across the room into the wall – because he knew she could take it – his phone vibrated, previously forgotten on the floor. Groaning, he ignored the blond vampire's attempt to distract him and started reading the text, his eyes glued to the screen as all conscious thought left him.

* * *

><p>Stefan didn't know what to do with himself.<p>

Damon wasn't there so he could pick a fight with him, Elena wouldn't face him (not that he'd tried seeing her), and Bonnie and Caroline didn't want to hear about him. That left the Originals, which weren't exactly buddy-buddy with him, and humans, whom he could either scare or drain. But he wasn't into that right now.

He just hoped Damon wasn't getting himself into trouble, and Elena? She was safe at home – Bonnie was with her.

With that thought, he fell on the bed face-down, trying to delve into a deep sleep, where things were easier. After a while there was nothing but numbness and drowsiness, so when a buzzing sound filled his bedroom, Stefan almost jumped.

Realizing it was the phone, he ran a hand over his face and blinked away the haze, squinting to read the text.

"Holiday is over, my pet. I have Elena. You know where to find me."

For the longest time, Stefan stared at the words as if they were alien, but the meaning behind them struck home, leaving him nauseated.

It was Klaus.

And he had Elena.

* * *

><p><em>Well, end of Chapter 2. Hope you enjoyed - let me know me what you think ;)<em>


	3. Not to let her go

**This Time**

* * *

><p><em>Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries and I certainly don't own the characters from it.<em>

* * *

><p>It was late – too late for their games. His mission had not been simple, but Finn had managed to keep tabs on his brothers, especially Klaus. This was how he found himself here, in his mother's office, thinking of how to explain the hybrid's reckless decision. Kidnapping that girl? To what purpose?<p>

Scribbling words on an old piece of paper, the woman didn't lift her eyes from the desk.

"What is he up to, Finn?"

Closing the door behind him, the only one of the Mikaelsen brothers to know Esther's entire plan, chose his words carefully. "He's taken a hostage... that girl, Elena Gilbert. She might tell him the plan if he pressures her enough." Resting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing for a moment, he pursed his lips. "What should we do, Mother?"

Looking up at her son, the woman allowed a cryptic smile to reach her lips.

"Niklaus already knows, Finn."

Stunned, the vampire froze, dropping his hands. "What do you mean, he knows? Do the others know, too?"

Standing up, she walked around the chair and table to reach the bookshelves.

"I think you never took the time to understand your hybrid brother. _Klaus_ is a _loner_." Eyes jumping from book cover to book cover, Esther looked for something in particular, hand reaching and retracting whenever she thought she found it but realized she hadn't.

There was a sound of swift movement behind her and she knew that her son had come to stand immediately behind her.

"Even if he doesn't realize it, even if he surrounds himself with fellow hybrids and so-called friends, at heart he is still lonely. He doesn't know how to deal with concepts such as 'family' or 'us'. It has always been 'he' and 'him' and 'his'. He never learned how to share because deep down he always felt excluded. As much as I love him for being my son, Niklaus only knows how to _take_. He only cares about and _for_ himself, and he does a good job at it."

Finding what she'd been searching for, Esther pulled out a thick book, old enough to look stolen out of a museum.

Turning around, she handed it to the only vampire in the room.

"Read it. This is your father's diary. You'll understand everything better once you know his side of the story. Klaus is something else, something different from all of you, but in a manner, Kol and Rebekah are exactly alike. Destructive and uncaring and ignorant and... against the nature of things. You understand this," she said, not as a question.

Nodding, he straightened his back as though it was his duty to serve.

"What do you need me to do now, Mother?"

Much more serious now, the woman went back to her chair.

"So far, nothing that I haven't predicted has happened. I was actually expecting one of them to see through me. I knew that should any of them notice, it would either be Elijah or Niklaus. In the end it was the more paranoid of them. Elijah loves me more than to think I would want to kill him."

Sighing, the woman turned around to look her child, her creation, in the eye.

"I know I never tell you this, but I don't want you to die. If I could, I would keep you alive. Elijah, too."

Opening a drawer, she revealed a small bag and spilled its content on the desk.

Tight-lipped, Finn stared at the fresh-looking root and understood.

"The white oak tree?"

"Exactly," she said, pulling out a dagger next.

Eyes full of compassion, she spoke weakly.

"I'll let you choose which one to kill."

* * *

><p>Not knowing how else to deal with this, Stefan ran as though a monster far more frightening than any vampire was hot on his trail. Klaus was talking about the warehouse in the text message, that was where he was keeping Elena. The only thing half soothing about this whole situation was the conviction that he hadn't hurt her. The damn hybrid wouldn't do that to his own blood bank. After all, he had offered not long ago to be Elena's sole protector. But he <em>would<em> kidnap her for good if Stefan didn't do what he asked, and the trouble was, he wasn't sure he wanted to do Klaus's bidding ever again, even if it was for her.

Running faster, he broke though the door, feeling the anger in his body invade every pore, every nook and cranny it could stretch its ugly tendrils into.

"Klaus," he roared, his deep voice bouncing off the walls and filling the seemingly empty warehouse in an ominous fashion. "Where are you?"

"There, there, Stefan," a mocking voice said, "don't be such a brute – you're scaring our guest here."

Immediately, a figure was thrust into Stefan's line of vision and he moved towards Elena, stopping abruptly when Klaus suddenly appeared right behind her.

Livid, the younger vampire worked hard to control himself, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"Let her go, or I will rip your hybrid heart out."

"Empty threats?" the Original asked blandly, clearly not amused. "You're being predictable, my friend, and I have no use for _predictable_."

Moving to stand beside his hostage, Klaus regarded the girl with invasive eyes that made her skin crawl.

"Such a beauty, don't you think?" In a second he was right behind her, smiling when she flinched in surprise, then pulling the hair away from her neck and inhaling deeply. "A _tragic_ beauty, one would say." He let her go to inspect her and walking around her in a circle, knowing it was surely making Stefan's blood boil, he lifted an eyebrow at her pursed lips. "It's like you're in a game of tug of war, my dear, caught between vampires and hybrids and Originals and witches and werewolves and... the list goes on. Quite tiring, I presume?"

"I can handle it just fine," she retorted, pulling her arm from his recent grip haughtily.

A buzzing sound went off and Stefan hurried to pull his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Damon?" Klaus guessed. "I invited him too. Answer his call, Stefan, be my guest."

Glaring at the hybrid as if that would make him wither and die, the younger vampire handled the phone conversation as smoothly as he could.

"Damon," he acknowledged.

_"Stefan, I got a message. You're not going to like this."_

"I'm already at the warehouse."

_"What - Where? What warehouse?"_

On instinct, Stefan would have told him to stay out of it, but he knew he needed as much as help as he could. After giving him directions, he hung up, repulsed by Klaus's smile.

The hybrid grabbed Elena's arm, ignoring her whimper, and pushed her in front of him, as though she was leverage.

"Now we'll talk."

* * *

><p>Ending the call, Damon had to admit he felt a lot better that Elena was with Stefan. He still had to ignore the burn he felt in his chest, especially remembering her cold words, but at least she was safe.<p>

_I am mad at you, because I love you._

And he'd be willing to have himself killed at the hands of Klaus, too, for her.

_Well maybe that's the problem..._

Grunting in annoyance at the damn memories who wouldn't go away, Damon hastily put on a pair of pants and a shirt, handing Rebekah her bra and thongs and frowning at her.

"Seems like your baby monster brother is bringing shame to the Big, Happy Family again."

"What?"

Getting dressed more pointedly and quickly than before, Rebekah waited for clarification, looking up at him from time to time until he gave it.

"Klaus has got Elena. He's planning something with her – not sure what, but... seems a bit suicidal. You know, with your mother around and all."

"I have to tell Elijah, he'll know what to do," she said, already texting.

_Mother can't know,_ she typed last.

"Dammit, Klaus!" she huffed, dashing after Damon, trying to keep up.

* * *

><p>"What do you want, Klaus?" Stefan asked, calmer now that he was sure the hybrid didn't pose an immediate threat to Elena's life, but still hating him as much as always. His mind worked like a clock, trying to find ways to escape from this warehouse, without having to listen to Klaus's requests. He was up to something, and Stefan didn't like where this was going.<p>

"Take a guess, Stefan. What could I _possibly_ want?"

"Is it Caroline?" he taunted, relishing the sudden flash of anger on the hybrid's aristocratic features. It was a fluke that he'd noticed Klaus's... appreciation of her the night at the ball. "Well, you're not going to have her, because she can't stand the sight of _things_ like _you_."

"You'd do well to know your place, pet. I can have you and your lady friend here killed in less than a sec."

Frowning, Stefan kept his mouth shut.

"Actually," Klaus said in a more casual manner, "it has come to my attention that my mother may not be interested in a family reunion, after all. I've had enough time to pester Elena about it until you came and played hero, but she wouldn't spill the beans. Now, what do _you_ think, Stefan? Is my mother trying to kill me?"

Frozen to the spot, the vampire hoped he'd play his cards right. He only had one shot to convince Klaus and on that depended if he was ever going to be killed, so the stakes were upped. Controlling his emotions, Stefan shrugged. "I only know what was announced at the party."

Sighing as though disappointed, Klaus shook his head. "Stefan, Stefan. You are constantly letting me down. Well Elena here," he said, pointing to the doppelgänger, "is on vervain. You, on the other hand,"

In a flash, Klaus was before Stefan, blue eyes boring into the vampire's green ones.

"Are not."

"Stefan!" Elena shouted from afar, but he ignored her. Playing along, he pretended he couldn't move away as Klaus kept staring at him.

"Now," the hybrid said, "Is my mother trying to kill me?"

"No," Stefan said, then in a movement that was too fast for the naked eye to see, he had Klaus against the wall, glaring dangerously. "But I am. Did you think I'd let myself compelled so easily the second time? I take vervain _daily_."

As soon as he recovered from the unexpectedness of the situation, the hybrid pushed Stefan off of him like he was a fly. Stefan landed on his back, his head connecting with the floor loudly, and in a flash Klaus was on top of him, pulling at the front of his shirt and revealing his fangs in a warning.

"Careful, pet. I don't even have to lift a finger – I could just bite you and get done with it. Remember _that_ the next time you forget you still have someone to protect, though Damon is equally apt for the task."

Speaking of said vampire, Elena suddenly shouted, "Damon! Thank God!" But at the same time her eyes widened at the sight of whom he'd brought with him.

_What is **she** doing here?_

"Klaus!"

It was Rebekah's voice, the soft, melodic tone he was used to, so when he heard it, Klaus immediately pushed himself off of Stefan, regarding her with narrowed eyes.

"Bekah? What are you doing here?" When she didn't answer, he turned to look at Damon spitefully.

"And you? _Idiot!_ You were supposed to come alone."

Smirking cockily, Damon shrugged in a careless way. "Oops?"

"I've got Elena," Stefan suddenly declared, and sure enough there he was, with the girl in his arms, ready to sprint off. "Let's go," he yelled at Damon and the latter didn't have to be told twice. Praying they'd make it outside (or that Rebekah would keep Klaus off their track), Damon started after Stefan.

They didn't even make it out the door, because Klaus suddenly appeared in front of them, grinning madly. "Leaving somewhere?" Somehow, he managed to steal Elena from Stefan once more with skills of a thousand years of practice, leaving the vampire groaning in annoyance.

"Dammit!" both the Salvatores shouted, but before they could do anything, Rebekah met her brother halfway, poised to strike. Everything was going to go terribly wrong, terribly fast, and everyone knew it, because Rebekah didn't mind killing Elena. Actually, both Salvatore brothers were sure she'd do it with gusto, too.

But before she could actually make contact, a booming voice filled the walls of the warehouse, making the human's hairs stand on end. "Stop!" it said, and they realized it was Elijah. When he entered, Kol was following him. Why _he_ had come was a mystery to the only female Original vampire, but she didn't mind.

_The more, the merrier. You lose, Klaus._

She hated how from loving sister she'd turned into this spiteful... what? Enemy? Not exactly, because she still loved her brother, but he had hurt her, and he _would_ pay. Somehow, someday, he would pay screaming in agony for betraying her.

Elena, still in Klaus's grip, felt the overwhelming guilt of having looked Elijah in the eye and lied to him when he had just saved her, but she smothered it immediately. These were human emotions, and just because Elijah was generally honorable, she couldn't forget how he'd spared Klaus after the ritual on that fateful day, which had led to the beginning of her living nightmare.

"What is the meaning of this, brother?" Elijah asked sternly, approaching the scene angrily and looking around, taking in the participants. Rebekah had told him a couple of things in the text message, but he'd hoped it wouldn't come to something of this magnitude. If he had to cover up bodies at the end of the day, he would somehow make Klaus pay.

"It doesn't concern you, Elijah, it's between me and-"

"Niklaus," Finn shouted from the back door, for all intents and purposes looking like someone had rained cats and dogs on his parade, though it was all theater, as though there wasn't enough madness in one room to last for a year.

"Yes, Finn," Klaus answered impatiently, astounded by how quickly his plan had fallen apart. He'd meant for only Stefan and Damon to be there, and as always, the latter of the brothers had fucked up his plans.

"How do you explain this?" he asked, lifting a dagger and stealing the breath of everyone in the warehouse. There was an anti-Originals weapon in the room and they all knew it. Klaus was the only one immune, and Klaus was also the only one truly confused. Now that dagger was clearly a dagger intended to kill Originals, but he couldn't figure what it had to do with him. Hadn't they gotten past it? Family reunion and all?

"I found it in your room," Finn pressed further, standing almost face to face with his brother now. "Were you planning on using it on us?"

"I knew it!" Kol declared in his wrath before Klaus could deny, and knowing he could not kill his brother but still wanting to take something important from him, as _he_ had taken hundreds of years of his life, he thought quickly.

What did Klaus love most?

His hybrids. His precious little monster creations.

Before Rebekah could shout, 'No', and Elijah could intercept him, Kol had already taken Elena from Klaus's arms and, with a quick move, bit and drained her. Zero blood bank, zero hybrids, right?

Enraged, Damon was quickest to react.

With all his strength he pushed the Original away from Elena, throwing him into a wall, but before he could see what was happening, a flash went past him and landed in front of Kol.

With the eyes of a cold blooded murderer, Klaus showed was it meant to be unforgiving. In an act of sheer impulse, he'd taken the dagger from Finn's hands and was now twisting it into Kol's chest where his heart was, watching with satisfaction as he fell to the ground. It might not bring Elena and her blood back, but it felt damn liberating.

Then two things happened at once.

As Damon thought of ways to reawaken the dead Original so he could kill him again, Stefan took Elena and fled. Looking behind him at the empty spot where her body was supposed to be, the remaining of the Salvatores realized who exactly it was that had taken her, and only mildly relieved it was Stefan, he didn't have the chance to ponder on it, because something else occurred.

"What's happening? What's – No!"

Turning around, what Damon saw shocked him.

"Klaus!" Rebekah screamed in agony, twisting and turning and hissing as her skin became pale, then withered slowly. "Elijah! What's happening?" But her brothers were experiencing the same ordeal – all the Originals were. The moment Kol had died, their mother's secret ritual had been activated, working to destroy them, as well. Finn knew this, but he remained silent, suffering through the slow torture with the pride he'd always possessed. Looking at his brother as he felt the need to bend and twist from the pain, Elijah suddenly understood.

_Mother..._

In front of them, Damon was rooted to the spot as he watched the woman he'd just had sex with slowly die in front of him, her begging eyes forever glued to his memory. Gradually, she withered and faded, becoming dust.

Klaus was the remaining one, as though the power of the witches behind the ritual wanted to grant him enough time to realize the irony of his situation: he had killed himself. By killing Kol, he had killed himself along with all of his siblings. Rebelling against the pain, he kept screaming desperately, until he suddenly couldn't, anymore.

_When one dies, they all die._

Soon the hybrid was nothing but a pile of ash and Damon felt justified to kick it in the gust of air.

"That was my son you just kicked," a woman said from the doorway, and Damon turned to see Esther looking at him, an age-old pain in her eyes.

"Yeah, well, your _other_ son may have killed the woman I love, so forgive me if I don't give a crap about your family at the moment."

Remembering Elena's shocked eyes and silent scream as Kol had bitten her, he then envisioned Rebekah's frightened gaze, and it _hurt, _dammit! It wasn't supposed to hurt, because he could turn it off, but...

He didn't want to.

"What took you so long?" he asked, defeated.

"The timing had to be right."

"Well, your timing _sucked_."

With that, he walked away.

* * *

><p>It was in the middle of the forest that he brought her, though it had a kind of a romantic poetry about it, if you looked at it that way. But Stefan didn't look at it in any way, because he was too busy sitting down against a tree and settling Elena with her back against his chest gently, then biting his wrist to thrust it under her nose so that she could drink his blood and heal.<p>

The red liquid coated her lips as it filled her mouth and soon she was awake.

Breathing a sigh of relief, but also feeling a bit woozy, Stefan stopped the girl from drinking too much and looked her over. Satisfied that she was completely recovered, he tried to calm himself down.

Elena looked at him and shivered.

He looked so much like the Stefan she loved in that moment, and she was eternally grateful for his being there. Right then she could see pain in his eyes – uncertainty, guilt. But she was sure he loved her. He had to love her.

The fact that she'd almost died was terrifying, so she couldn't let it linger in her mind for too long if she wanted to preserve her sanity, but she could tell he was still wrapping his mind around it. It _was_ too much, it had happened too soon, and she didn't even know the outcome – not that she wanted to at that moment – but what she needed to do now was to help _him_ get over it.

She was fine. She'd always be.

So all she could do was turn her attention to him, asking softly, "Why did you come?'

Flinching, he closed his eyes for a second, as though the question hurt to reply, then settled for the safest answer, "You know why."

"Stefan, I wanna hear you say it."

When she took his face into her hands, he almost cried.

He couldn't. He couldn't lie anymore, couldn't hold it in any longer. This _feeling_ overwhelmed him and disarmed him and made him feel both strong and weak. Inadequate.

This time it had been too close. He could have lost Elena tonight, and she wasn't even his to lose, anymore. But her death would have crippled him. No guilt, no shame could be worse than the fear he was still experiencing, because now he could see it clearly: her life was so fragile, so easy to take away. He'd known that before, but today she'd almost _died_.

Burying his head in the crook of her neck, he breathed harshly against her skin, softly confessing to her exactly what she wanted to hear, exactly what he wanted to tell her, "I love you."

She let a whimper escape and hugged him tighter, knowing that she had to convince him she was still there.

"I'm here," she said, and felt moisture against her neck. Her eyes softened and she kissed his forehead. "Stefan, I'm here." It seemed she couldn't say that enough. Lifting his chin, she brushed her lips over his slowly, softly. "I'm here," she whispered against them, the words vibrating through his flesh. It brought him to life, and he felt more aware of her then than he had ever been.

Her skin was soft and breaths were shallow as her eyes penetrated him to the core.

He shouldn't have shut her out. He knew that now, and hoped it wasn't too late to take her back in.

His eyes followed her tongue when it sneaked out to wet her lips and on impulse Stefan nipped her bottom lip, looking at her, _through_ her, as if to read her thoughts. Her eyes were glassy and his mouth was on hers in the next second, moving smoothly, calmly.

But then something shifted between them.

Impatience kicked in, the desire they'd both bottled up for so long reaching the surface. It was feral and consuming, like a tingle erupting in the pit of their stomachs and exploding from there, and they snapped.

Elena was the first to make a move.

Grabbing the back of his neck, she pushed her tongue into his mouth and breathed loudly, taking him down with her as she lay on her back. They stole each other's breath until there was no more air. Sharp teeth left a hot trail down the column of her neck and her blood pulsed under his lips, making his eyes turn red and frightening fangs grow in excitement. Aroused beyond measure, Elena dug her nails into his sides and it _stung_, but it was a delicious kind of sting.

He never complained.

Pulling himself away from her for just a moment so he could shrug off his jacket, Stefan then unbuttoned her shirt to reveal perfectly round breasts confined by a black, lacy bra. Groaning in appreciation, he realized he _couldn't_ wait. He couldn't draw this out, either, not here in the open, where they were both vulnerable.

In their passion, she helped him unzip her jeans and he pulled them from her legs, enjoying the way she arched her body off the ground to ease the process. Soon, _his_ jeans were off low enough for him to be able to move like he wanted to. Bringing a hand between them, Stefan trailed two fingers up and down her womanhood, coating them in her essence. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she started panting, chest heaving with the force of her inhales.

And when she saw him lick _those_ fingers, her breath caught in her throat.

Pressing his lips against hers to distract her, he pushed inside her _hard_, grunting from the familiar pleasure. Both forced any thoughts out of their minds as they moved against each other rhythmically, with Stefan thrusting faster and faster until he was making her moan like she was in pain.

Soon, her toes curled as a wave of pleasure shook her world off its hinges and the vampire followed her in bliss.

It was silent afterwards, neither of them knowing what to say. She wanted to thank him, to tell him she loved him, that she'd never let him stay away from her, but he knew all of those things. She knew he did.

"You had a choice, Stefan," she said instead, "between yourself, and me. Your life, your... sanity, your peace – you're maybe giving them away for a while, until you can heal. Thank you for that," she continued, deep gratitude in her voice, "for choosing _me_."

"Sleep now," he said, kissing her forehead, some guilt from the recent past already coming back with a force to fear, but he masked it well, knowing he could manage it on his own for the moment. "I'll deal with Klaus tomorrow."

He never had to.

* * *

><p><em>Well, this was IT. I hoped you enjoyed, because I sure did have fun<em>  
><em>squeezing a couple of hours of intensive writing among many more others of studying<em>  
><em>and only about twothree hours of sleep a night for the last few days, hehe._

_Let me know what you think ;)_


End file.
